Booking 2020

[seabright]

... I wasn't present at the Ruslan performance but I was there at the Nutcracker Act 2 which is on the same DVD. It's an absolutely wonderful performance, magically directed by Rozhdestvensky. Just thinking of it now induces an aching nostalgia for so many glorious Proms and wondering if I will ever see the like again .

This is precisely the sort of televised performance the Proms people should dig out of their archives and show again, in place of what would have been transmitted this summer but for this dreadful virus.

[Darkbloom]

Surely the Complete Proms could be televised without an audience or a limited number. Orchestras are performing now, Berlin Phil are playing in a studio concert on May 4th and Czech phil are also performing.Even if season is reduced in number of concerts . Mustnt give up yet.

I'd be curious to see how an orchestra performs while keeping their distance. Presumably you couldn't have two players sharing a music stand, and for works requiring more than a modest chamber orchestra the stage would need to be enormous to space everyone out.

I think simple economics would rule out any kind of Proms season without an audience. It wouldn't be worth it. Maybe they will have a few token performances - this was obviously going to be a big LvB year - but there are two many reasons that make it not feasible.

[ucanseetheend]

Surely an announcement on proms 2020 is imminent. I guess when the Gov issue guidelines post the initial lockdown. Pretty inevitable what will happen

[duncan]

Glyndebourne has bowed to the inevitable: https://www.glyndebourne.com/festiva...avirus-update/

[Petrushka]

Surely an announcement on proms 2020 is imminent. I guess when the Gov issue guidelines post the initial lockdown. Pretty inevitable what will happen

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/384LXFP6B13d4q2GnLx8HGy/an-update-on-the-2020-proms

[LMcD]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/art...the-2020-proms

'An update by the end of May' could be cutting it a bit fine.

[Petrushka]

'An update by the end of May' could be cutting it a bit fine.

They may have a short season in mind beginning in August but they are the last music festival holding out apart from Salzburg and Bregenz and, even though Austria is moving out of lockdoen, both look doubtful.

I'm afraid David Pickard and his team should stop dithering, face the inevitable and announce cancellation now.

[Barbirollians]

They may have a short season in mind beginning in August but they are the last music festival holding out apart from Salzburg and Bregenz and, even though Austria is moving out of lockdoen, both look doubtful.

I'm afraid David Pickard and his team should stop dithering, face the inevitable and announce cancellation now.

I do not agree .

[LHC]

They may have a short season in mind beginning in August but they are the last music festival holding out apart from Salzburg and Bregenz and, even though Austria is moving out of lockdoen, both look doubtful.

I'm afraid David Pickard and his team should stop dithering, face the inevitable and announce cancellation now.

Norman Lebrecht is reporting that “BBC contingency planning for saving the Proms is 2 weeks in an empty Royal Albert Hall and 2 weeks with a minimal audience, all televised.”

Of course, as this is Lebrecht it may we’ll be complete rubbish, but the fact they haven’t cancelled yet suggest they are still hoping to be able to do something. Mind you, unless social distancing guidelines are relaxed, I doubt even this reduced Programme would be feasible.

[Petrushka]

I do not agree .

I wish it wasn't so but with other countries who are ahead of us, and in a better position virus-wise, not re-opening halls until September at the earliest it's difficult to see any other option. Agree with LHC that the plans as outlined on the Lebrecht site don't look feasible either.

We all want to hear live music and to support musicians but the reality is not something that can be wished away..

[teamsaint]

I do not agree .

What would you propose the season would look like, timing in terms of start date , number of concerts, social distancing ( assuming that is required) ?

[bluestateprommer]

They may have a short season in mind beginning in August but they are the last music festival holding out apart from Salzburg and Bregenz and, even though Austria is moving out of lockdoen, both look doubtful.

I'm afraid David Pickard and his team should stop dithering, face the inevitable and announce cancellation now.

While just speaking for myself as someone not Pollyanna-ish in general, this is one case where it might be a bit harsh to describe David Pickard and his team as "dithering", partly for the reasons implicit in my post # 44 (and a very rare instance where the worst gossip in classical music may be on to something, or holding strategically leaked gossip to prime the pump). That is to say: DP and the Proms team may well be working on some kind of plan to salvage something for the 2020 Proms in some remote form or other. I would like to think that it's less a case of "dithering" than preparing to announce an alternative, socially-distanced version of this summer's Proms season. In principle (and granted this assumes greater intelligence among human beings than is generally the case - witness 40% of Americans on my side of the pond), I again would prefer to think that DP and the Proms team don't want to make some sort of announcement that cancels this summer's Proms without a specific alternative of new content to offer, beyond a repeat of past selected broadcasts and TV presentations. Likewise, I would hope that DP is following examples like the Berlin Philharmonic, with their recent May 1 Europakonzert presented under social distancing guidelines, as a model for how to move forward.

In fact, there are reports that the Berliner Charité has been coordinating with Berlin orchestras to propose new guidelines for classical music concerts during the current pandemic (with Google translations pasted below each):

(a) Klassik.com: https://magazin.klassik.com/news/tea...20von%20Corona

"Berliner Charité makes suggestions for orchestral music in times of Corona

Berlin, May 8th, 2020. Together with the orchestra directors of the seven Berlin orchestras, scientists from the Berlin Charité have developed a concept for the music business during the corona pandemic. For the safety of the musicians, according to the researchers, certain conditions must be observed, rehearsals are generally possible. Protective measures such as a safety distance of up to two meters are necessary, especially to the wind instruments. Other recommendations include the distance between all other musicians, protective walls made of plexiglass, cleaning the instruments with disposable towels and avoiding the sharing of instruments and accessories. The musicians should also take care of their health and contact a doctor immediately if they experience symptoms of Covid-19. Members of the high-risk ensembles should be exempted by employers.

The new rules only apply to musicians, a concept for events with an audience is currently being developed separately. In addition to the doctors and scientists, the Berlin Philharmonic, the German Symphony Orchestra Berlin, the Konzerthaus Orchestra Berlin, the orchestras of the Deutsche Oper Berlin and the Komische Oper, the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin and the Staatskapelle Berlin are involved."

(b) Musikheute: http://www.musik-heute.de/20941/char...uer-orchester/

"In the opinion of scientists from the Berlin Charité, orchestras can play together and rehearse under certain conditions. According to a statement published on Thursday, compliance with clear protective measures is necessary. For example, strings, drummers and keyboard instruments should sit 1.5 meters apart, and wind players should be two meters apart. Additional plexiglass protection is recommended for brass instruments.

With a view to possible contagion, the scientists investigated the special aspects of the various instruments - such as how much air a musician breathes and how they eject from a flute, clarinet or trumpet. It is therefore advantageous that the musicians "do not sit opposite each other and do not speak to one another, at times in the rehearsal situation". In addition to the specific recommendations, the researchers listed general protective measures, such as a daily self-check for symptoms typical of Covid 19 and hygiene rules.

'With this statement, important foundations for rehearsal and concert operations of the orchestras are created,' explained the director of the Institute for Social Medicine, Epidemiology and Health Economics at the Charité, Stefan Willich.

The study was created on the initiative of the seven Berlin orchestras: the Berliner Philharmoniker, the Deutsche Symphonie-Orchester Berlin (DSO), the Konzerthausorchester Berlin, the orchestras of the Deutsche Oper Berlin and the Komische Oper Berlin, the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin (RSB) and the Staatskapelle Berlin. The 13-page paper relates exclusively to the situation of the orchestra musicians, security measures for the audience would have to be worked out separately."

It seems pretty obvious to all, including David Pickard and his team, that this summer's Proms can't go on as normal. But they want to be careful about making an official announcement, because once they lower the boom and play the "cancelled" card, they can only play that card once.

[LMcD]

Press reports suggest that the RAH faces closure, putting the Proms in doubt, as social distancing means that only one-third of seats could be occupied.

[Bryn]

Press reports suggest that the RAH faces closure, putting the Proms in doubt, as social distancing means that only one-third of seats could be occupied.

Since it has been closed since the 17th of March with no intention to open until at least 30th June, this is hardly a news story the Torygraph has offered.

[LMcD]

Since it has been closed since the 17th of March with no intention to open until at least 30th June, this is hardly a news story the Torygraph has offered.

The article quotes the chief executive as saying that the future of the venue could be in jeopardy if continued social distancing means that it will be able to operate at only 30% of capacity. Of course, I have no way of knowing whether this is true or not.